Answer

In Jain practice, the concern is not simply “touch” in a physical sense, but shuddhi — ritual purity, cleanliness, and respect for temple worship.

If a woman is in periods, many Jain families and traditions avoid temple entry or direct puja during those days as a matter of traditional religious discipline. However, clothes that were touched by someone during periods do not automatically become permanently unsuitable for temple use.

If the clothes are clean, washed, and not soiled, they are generally considered acceptable to wear for temple visits.

Explanation

The idea behind avoiding certain things during menstruation in traditional Jain households is connected with:

• ritual purity for temple worship
• physical rest for the woman
• avoiding direct participation in puja during that period
• maintaining maryada — religious discipline and respect

Touching rui — cotton used for religious purposes such as divo, aarti, or puja — may be avoided because it is directly used in worship. So some families follow stricter rules that such puja items should not be handled during menstruation.

But ordinary clothes are different. If someone in periods touched clothes, and those clothes are clean, they are not the same as puja material. Especially if they are washed or kept clean, wearing them to temple is not usually treated as wrong.

Spiritual Understanding

Jain Dharma gives great importance to:

• inner purity — right faith, right knowledge, right conduct
• outer cleanliness — especially for temple, puja, and sacred objects
• non-judgment and compassion

Menstruation should not be seen as impurity of the soul. The soul is never made impure by the body’s natural condition. These customs are mainly about traditional temple maryada and ritual discipline, not about judging a person as spiritually inferior.

Takeaway

Touching rui used for puja may be avoided because it is a sacred worship item. But clean clothes touched by someone during periods are not automatically unfit for temple visits. If the clothes are clean and your family or temple tradition permits, wearing them is generally acceptable.